Lupinar
The focal point of En'Thromii culture and religious dogma. Referred to as the Claws of Lykaois by En'Thromii shaman, most lupinar are made of local stone, sung from the ground by a shaman with the stone singing ability. It is interesting to note that stone singing is an ability that is increasingly rare among the En'Thromii with the highest percentage of stone singers occurring in the pure blooded population. The reason for this is unknown, even among the shamans Lupinar tend to closely resemble each other despite being made of different stone ( due to the stone being sung from locally available sources). Most Lupinar tend to be made up a larger outer ring of 30 fang shaped stones, 5 of which are 3-5 times larger with a glyph carved into the inward facing surface, each glyph being the wolf-rune for a phase of the moon. A second inner circle made up of a number of smaller stones may be present if the lupinar is one of the older relics of the legacy packs. Often these may be carved with the wolf-runes representing the pantheon figures central to the belief system of the race. Smaller later founding packs also commonly referred to as new blood packs who are blessed to have possess the stone singing art or wealthy enough to afford to hire a stone singer often do not have this smaller inner circle. It is not known if this inner circle serves any function other then decorative. What is key in all lupinar is the five large outer stones. These are the portal stones that control the opening of the veil through which the En'Thromii utilize their famed ability to walk the umbra. In the center of each lupinar will be an alter tablet. Made of thick slabs of stone of the same rock making up the standing stones other cultural stone circles often contain stone alters however this does not seem to be the case with the lupine race. Used by speakers, to stand higher the. Those they speak to in order to be heard, shaman in order to conduct periods of instruction and even on warm sunny days, several members of the local pack to lounge about on soaking up warmth from the stone, and rays of light on warm sunny spring days. Fiercely protected and yet treated like an extension of a common room, the way in which En'Thromii show their respect to obviously so holy a place varies with each pack...from an object of Divine reverence forbidden to all save the inner circles of pack to a place to socialize and dance. Regardless of this variation, all lupinar are extremely important to the pack system, often a smaller non competitive packs sharing one with a larger wealthier more powerful pack. In. Any situations the lupinar is considered neutral ground with unspoken laws of non aggression within the stone circle ruthlessly enforced by pack leadership How it works The legends around the En'Thromii ability to pass through the veil are shrouded in myth and distorted by rumor, myth, fabrication by bards in the interest of telling a story and by the people themselves. The Lupinar is the portal through which the En'Thromii pass that permits them to walk beyond the veil and into the physical world. Once long ago, all En'Thromii had an understanding of how to open that portal, now it is a lost art with only the very old, the Cahalith and a few gifted able to make the gate way tear a portal through the veil. A Stone Singer's Perspective by Zandeln Five stone's minimum with a central stone tablet or alter are the important factors. One stone for each of the elder gods, each with the five phases of the moons etched in them. I suspect the tradition of the 30 fanged stones, with a central alter, came about partly for worship and partly due to us Stone Singers becoming increasingly rare. As our abilities differed from singer to singer and also appeared less often, It's probable that while we could all sing up the stones, not all singer could complete the Lupinar's on their own. Historical account's what few there are, always show shaman and singers working in concert to make the lupinar's. The singer would even give himself to the work, becoming a part of it as a guardian for all time. The Shaman would then attune the five stones to the veil. I suspect the 30/5 ratio of stones become important when the shaman completes the making. A Shaman is also needed to active the Lupinar. Stronger Stone singers seemed to be able to complete lupinar's on their own, and survive the process. It is these rarer one's which may allow any wolven kind, or possibly family only, to travel at will. I call these the True Lupinar's. Since there has not been a active stone singer in two hundred years or more before me, and the gift has been waning, most of the True Lupinars have been lost or destroyed. I plan on a slight variation of the configuration of stone work for my fourth Lupinar. I will also attempt to make this one a True Lupinar, but still sealed to a select few. Lupinar for the Mystic Claw Ka'ith. Category:En'Thromii Lore